A Career in Law Enforcement, A Vote for Judge Landee Holloway
After more than 20 years serving as a peace officer in Missoula, I have deep respect for the complexity of the decisions we ask our judges to make.
I worked with Judge Landee Holloway first in her role as a probation officer, and later as Justice of the Peace. Throughout my career, I have seen her uniquely well-rounded perspective. She knows that true community safety requires a careful balance between rehabilitation of defendants, support of victims, and holding people accountable.
Judge Holloway’s record shows her commitment to victims' rights—ensuring they have the right to fair treatment, to be present, and to be heard, alongside the assurance that defendants will actually show up to court. At the same time, her work with ROAD court demonstrates that she understands that helping DUI defendants pursue treatment and improve their lives must go hand in hand with strict accountability to keep drunk drivers off our roads.
Those who criticize Judge Holloway for (on rare occasions) sentencing defendants to jail or holding them on bond are woefully ignorant of the facts in those cases. The decision by some courts to outright reject jail as an option is not empathy, it’s willful ignorance of the risks those defendants pose to themselves, their victims, and the impact on our community as a whole.
For three decades, Judge Holloway has held positions of public trust, consistently proving her commitment to better outcomes for everyone in Missoula. I strongly endorse Landee Holloway for Justice of the Peace.
-Matt Stonesifer
Captain (Ret.) Missoula Police Department
Why Legal Professionals Stand Behind Judge Holloway
Missoula friends, I’m voting for Judge Holloway for Missoula County Justice of the Peace, and I hope you will too. If you care about fairness in our legal system and the safety of our community, this election matters. I know this post is long, but please take a minute to read why Judge Holloway has my vote.
Her opponent’s main criticism is that Judge Holloway doesn’t have a law degree. As an attorney, I have great respect for legal education and the work it takes to earn a law degree. But consider who supports Judge Holloway: prosecutors, defense attorneys, civil attorneys, and judges; all people with law degrees and years of experience. Legal professionals may often disagree about what the law says or should be. That is, after all, our job. But on this race, they agree: Judge Holloway is the right choice.
There’s a reason for that. The lawyers who appear before her trust her to follow the law. She is patient, calm, and fair. She respects everyone’s rights and decides cases on the facts, not politics. That’s the temperament of a good judge, and it’s something law school can’t teach.
That fairness matters most in Justice Court. It’s often called the people’s court, because many people appear there without a lawyer for traffic tickets, small claims, and landlord-tenant disputes. Lawyer or no lawyer, everyone deserves a judge who listens and treats them fairly and with respect. Judge Holloway does exactly that. She is a judge for the people, and the right judge for the people’s court.
Judge Holloway also understands what keeps a community safe. Before taking the bench, she spent years in corrections helping people leaving prison find stable footing so they didn’t end up back there.
As a judge, she has kept that focus: helping people exit the justice system and stay out, not keep cycling through it. She founded Missoula’s ROAD Court, which gives DUI offenders treatment and accountability to prevent them re-offending. Fewer drunk drivers makes the roads safer for all of us.
Being a good judge takes fairness, sound judgment, and a real commitment to the people who come before the court. Judge Holloway has shown all three. She follows the law, protects our community, and gives people a real chance to turn their lives around. That’s why lawyers on both sides trust her, and why she has my vote. Please join me in voting for Judge Landee Holloway on Tuesday, November 3.
-Chance Carter, Attorney
Missoula
A Former County Commissioner’s Endorsement: Proven Leadership, Compassion, and Accountability
I strongly endorse Justice of the Peace Landee Holloway in her bid for reelection. She has served as a judge in the People’s Court for 10 years with a proven record as a fair, experienced judge by applying her practical criminal justice experience with professional experience and integrity.
I first met Landee when I served as Missoula County Commissioner and we served on the Missoula County Jail Diversion Master Plan focusing on reducing unnecessary incarceration and improving outcomes. Holloway also built Partners for Reintegration, bringing agencies, organizations, and community partners together to address barriers to successful reentry and reduce recidivism.
The People’s Court is where ordinary people encounter the judicial system, often without an attorney. Many of these cases are civil not criminal. It is important for the judge to understand the laws, explain the proceedings and decisions while listening and treating people with dignity. Landee has a degree in criminology and a minor in psychology. Her 23 years as a Probation and Patrol Officer provided important experience, too. Her compassion does not mean an absence of consequences and accountability.
Holloway developed Road Court, a DUI treatment court, expanding the court's ability to combine accountability with treatment, supervision, and strategies designed to address the underlying causes of repeat offenses.
Please join me in voting for a proven leader, Landee Holloway. Her background, experience and collaboration continue to improve outcomes for individuals who are in the justice system while protecting our community.
-Jean Curtiss, retired Missoula County Commissioner
An Experienced Attorney’s Firsthand Account of Judge Holloway
I have been a practicing attorney in Missoula for 33 years. I have known Landee Holloway for over 20 years, first as a probation officer and now as a Justice of the Peace. I have watched her as a Justice of the Peace handle thousands of cases and I have handled hundreds of cases in her Court.
Landee’s ethical standards are impeccable, and she works extremely hard as Justice of the Peace. She is fair and highly intelligent. She is tough, when necessary, but also compassionate to the plight of people as well. She is decisive and patient, and her legal reasoning is sound. She holds individuals accountable for their mistakes but also helps them to make sure that don’t repeat their criminal behavior.
Her tireless work with the ROAD Court is inspiring and has changed so many lives for the better. The ROAD Court is a unique program that is working in our legal system and making a positive change for so many people far beyond many other programs in Montana.
I have a great deal of respect for Landee both as a person and her work in the courtroom. I without hesitation, fully endorse Landee Holloway to continue serving Missoula County as Justice of the Peace.
-Paul Ryan, attorney
Missoula